The removal of oxidisable stains from either hard surfaces or fabrics by means of peroxygen bleaches at temperatures less than about 60.degree. C. is a well known technique and customarily involves the use of organic peroxy acids. The most commonly used peroxy acid is peracetic acid, normally generated in situ in the bleaching or laundry liquor by the reaction of alkaline hydrogen peroxide with a peroxy acid precursor (the so-called bleach acivator). However, peroxyacids containing more than 2 carbon atoms in the acyl group have also been disclosed and taught for this purpose and BP 864,798, Canadian Pat. No. 635,620, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,100,095, 4,119,660, 4,126,573 and European Published Application No. 0068547 all relate to the formation, stabilisation or use of such materials.
Recently, as described in European Published Application No. 0068547, it has been found that selection of the chainlength of the aliphatic moiety of the peroxy acid permits the peroxy acid to be concentrated in the area where stain removal is required. Thus for removal of fugitive dyestuffs in bulk solution, a `hydrophilic` bleach species is satisfactory, whereas for stains on solid surfaces a bleaching species showing more hydrophobic character, and hence a tendency to migrate to the solid-liquid interface, may be more beneficial.
In the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,934 issued to Stanley Y Chung & Gianfranco L Spadini, on Nov. 1st 1983 entitled "Bleaching Compositions", and Published European Application No. 83303675.9 entitled "Detergent Additive Product", compositions are disclosed which incorporate a C.sub.8 -C.sub.10 acyloxy compound capable of forming a C.sub.8 -C.sub.10 aliphatic peroxy acid on reaction with alkaline hydrogen peroxide, the C.sub.8 -C.sub.10 acyl group being linear in nature.
Although compositions prepared in accordance with these last named disclosures provide superior stain removal performance to prior art products employing peracetic acid or its precursors, it has been found that, under certain conditions, odors produced in the wash solution by these products are aesthetically unattractive.
It has now been found that certain branched chain aliphatic peroxy acid precursors, when added to aqueous liquors containing a source of alkaline hydrogen peroxide, provide effective bleaching of oxidisable stains, particularly at temperatures at or below about 60.degree. C. without generating aesthetically unattractive odours. The precursor compounds can be added to such liquors on their own, or added to water as part of a complete inorganic peroxy bleach-containing detergent composition or as part of a laundry additive product added to an aqueous solution of an inorganic peroxy bleach-containing detergent composition.